1,4-diaminobutane (also called as putrescine) may be prepared via hydrogenation and distillation of succinonitrile prepared from hydrogen cyanide and acrylonitrile. 1,4-diaminobutane may also be prepared via distillation after adding an alkali metal phthalimide catalyst and hydrazine to 1,4-dibromobutane or 1,4-dichlorobutane. These chemical synthesis methods of 1,4-diaminobutane use a toxic compound such as hydrogen cyanide or require an expensive reaction catalyst.
Recently, there has been research into methods of producing 1,4-diaminobutane through fermentation without using any toxic compound and/or expensive catalyst. However, 1,4-diaminobutane obtained through fermentation is conventionally provided at a low concentration in a fermentation solution, combined with a salt.
Therefore, there is a need for an effective method of purifying 1,4-diaminobutane from the fermentation solution.